


Things That Grow Beneath The Winter Snow

by jarofhearts



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, First Meetings, Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 06:16:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2841062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jarofhearts/pseuds/jarofhearts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been a long time since Dan could find anything to like about Christmas. But then he unexpectedly runs into a young man on Christmas Eve who invites him into his home so that neither of them are alone. And the night turns into something very special.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things That Grow Beneath The Winter Snow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AwakeMySoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwakeMySoul/gifts).



> For this story I have only the fondest of memories. As always with this pairing, my deepest thanks and love go to teti (AwakeMySoul), who went through so much with me, and we somehow managed to get to the place where we are now, and there are no words for how happy and grateful I am for that.
> 
> To everyone else who reads this, to everyone who ever left me kudos or comments this year, I wish you a wonderful Christmas, a couple of wonderful days no matter if or in what form you celebrate, may your hearts be light. All the best with all my love. Merry Christmas!

Snowflakes were still peacefully sailing down to the ground, adding to the white blanket that had already buried the city of Liverpool, and Daniel Agger tugged his hands deeper into the pockets of his jacket to escape the cold.  
  
Every shop he passed in the brightly lit streets was giving him another dosage of Christmas songs that blended together in his ears, inescapable just like all those bright, colourful, glittery decorations, the happy children, the smiling faces.  
  
And he just couldn’t stand Christmas.  
  
If he had to listen to that blasted ‘Last Christmas’ song just one more time he would be ready to jump off the next bridge. Or kill someone. Or maybe both. It just didn’t get into his head why everyone was so insistent on celebrating something that had happened over two thousand years ago. Something nobody was even sure if it had really happened. Maybe it had held some meaning once, but now it felt like it had been degraded to an excuse to spend an obscene amount of money on useless, overly expensive things.  
  
Brave new material world.  
  
So he just stared stubbornly at the footprint-flattened path in front of him on his familiar way home, thinking that at least it’d be over soon. He had survived one whole month of pre-Christmas atmosphere, he could do two more days as well.  
  
Dan was just about to turn a corner when a figure ran head-long into him. One of the plastic bags he was carrying landed on the snow-covered ground and spilled its contents around them, and when Dan looked up at the sincere sounding “Oh shit, I’m so sorry,” it was into the freckled face of a young man, chocolate-coloured eyes, obviously dyed but impeccably cut blond hair and young but damn attractive features. The stranger gave him a quick but warm smile before bending down to collect his scattered belongings.  
  
Dan’s first instinct was to mumble something along the lines of ‘Whatever, man’ and just to ignore him, continuing his way down the snowy streets, but his parent’s schooling – and maybe something about the stranger’s smile – made him pause.  
  
“Don’t worry about it,” he answered instead, bending down to help fishing the blond man’s belongings from the snow, all the while unconsciously sneaking small glances at the stranger’s face. Maybe the warm smile and the soft “Thanks” he got in return was already worth it. Embarrassed at his own thoughts he looked down, for the first time, at the things he was gathering. Strings of lights, candles, a packet of (thankfully) still intact Christmas tree balls, more Christmas tree decorations.  
  
Oh great.  
  
“Did you rob a Christmas store or something?”  
  
The man’s laugh in reply was light-hearted and open as he carefully placed his things back into his plastic bag with Dan’s help. From the two bags he had sat down in the snow next to him clothes were peeking out from one and packages of food from the other as a quick glance to the side had told Dan.  
  
“I tried not to. But it’s Christmas and I didn’t really have anything at home and that’s just… not an option. My tree needs to have _something_ on it.”  
  
Even if he had wanted to, Dan couldn’t have stopped his eyebrow rising sceptically at that. His internal aversion to Christmas screamed loudly, rang every alarm clock possible, but still he was reluctant to just leave the blond man with the subtle accent there just yet. “Oh, you’re one of those people?”  
  
“What do you mean, one of those people?” the blond asked, but there was no defensiveness in his tone, only amusement. “Doesn’t everyone want a bit of atmosphere on Christmas Eve at least?”  
  
Freckles. They were everywhere. That was the only thing he could think of right now.  
  
Dan blinked and jolted himself into answering.  
  
“Well… I don’t have a single piece of Christmas decoration in my whole apartment,” he answered distractedly and truthfully.  
  
“Really?” the young man asked, looking seriously surprised as he took the last of the scattered decorations from Dan. Hands brushing. “No candles, no lights, not even a tree? Or, well, you’re probably going home to your family, right? I only bought my tree this morning after that snow storm kept me from flying home yesterday.”  
  
Dan tried to ignore the dull pain he felt at the mention of his family, but he was done with it and most of the time he was okay. He forced a small smile onto his face for the stranger though. “None whatsoever. And I’m just on my way home to my apartment, not planning on going anywhere else tonight.”  
  
They were both standing up now, and as he looked into the freckled face again he saw how the blond man was staring back at him wide-eyed. “You’ll just be at home, completely alone, without anything to remind you that it’s Christmas?”  
  
Daniel shook his head at the man standing before him, ignoring the people squeezing past them on the busy streets. “I’m not overly excited about Christmas. It’s just some selfish orgy of consumption. Everybody just wants bigger presents, bigger decorations, more profit. It’s all just big money. Why celebrate something like that?”  
  
While Dan spoke he could actually watch the stranger’s face falling in dismay. “But… that’s not what it’s about!” he replied after a short moment of silence. And then, a bit softer, “It’s about the only time of the year when you can really dream.”  
  
The expression on the freckled face made Dan almost want to take his words back. It just didn’t look right and he didn’t want to be the one to put it there, but his long-time aversion to Christmas was stronger, although only a tiny bit. “Dream of bigger presents?”  
  
Dear God, that was a tiny pout forming on those lips. And an adorable one. “Don’t be such a Scrooge.”  
  
Daniel couldn’t help the little grin forming on his face. “Wow, you really have the Christmas spirit in your blood, haven’t you?”  
  
The blond smiled and gave an almost shy half-shrug. “I just happen to love it.”  
  
“Yeah I can see that.” Dan knew he was smiling as well now, but something about that blond man was making him feel better, lighter somehow. And his grin was being returned.  
  
It was the moment where there was, technically, nothing more to say, where Dan should nod and go his way. He still _wanted_ to say something though – even if he didn’t know what.  
  
Just as the silence was beginning to get awkward and he took a breath to say goodbye, the blond beat him to it, blurting out, “Come home with me.”  
  
Dan blinked speechlessly. “What?”  
  
“I mean, I’d like to invite you. Because it’s Christmas.” A careful smile spread on the young man’s face. “So you won’t have to be all alone without even a tree on Christmas Eve.”  
  
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Dan shrugged hesitantly, still completely startled, even though some irrational and reckless thing in him had immediately wanted to say yes. “And… you don’t even know me,” he added as an afterthought, trying to ignore the hopeful eyes looking at him.   
  
“What’s your name?” came the question back, quick as a pistol shot, and Dan was again so caught off guard that he didn’t even think twice about answering.  
  
“Daniel. Dan.”  
  
“How old are you?”  
  
“Twenty-four.”  
  
“Studying? Working?”  
  
“Both.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Informatics. Record store.”  
  
“Smoker?”  
  
“No…”  
  
“Ever done drugs?”  
  
“Does alcohol count?”  
  
“Absolutely not. Do you have a permanent record?”  
  
“Definitely not.”  
  
And then a brilliant smile spread on the blond man’s features to accompany the twinkle in his dark eyes. “See? I think I can trust you.”  
  
Laughter bubbled up in Dan’s chest, and he watched as it turned to white puffy clouds in the cold air around them. That irrational, reckless voice from earlier had almost taken over by now.  
  
This was totally crazy.  
  
“And how do I know that you’re not some psychopathic freak who wants me to put the lotion in the basket?”  
  
The other man’s face was the perfect picture of utter confusion. “What? Lotion?”  
  
“Silence of the Lambs? Jame ‘Buffalo Bill’ Gumb? Guy who kills and skins a lot of people?” He was laughing openly now. Could this situation get any stranger?  
  
“Oh.” And it looked like the faintest hint of a blush was spreading on the freckled cheeks. “I didn’t remember that. Do I really look like someone who wants to skin you?”  
  
Dan smiled warmly at the other man, letting his eyes roam over the soft, freckled features, and warm brown eyes, the gold streaked hair. “No you don’t,” he answered quietly, their eyes locking for a moment.  
  
“Then… will you come with me?” There it was again, that hopeful look in his eyes. “If not for you, then for me? I… to be honest I dreaded being alone tonight all day.”  
  
He couldn’t say no. Maybe he could make an exception this Christmas and just go with it. “Alright I guess… but no Christmas songs!”  
  
“I solemnly swear,” the blond returned with a grave expression before a grin lit his whole face and he tentatively held out his hand. “Fernando. Very nice to meet you, Dan.”  
  
Dan took the offered hand into his. Despite the weather it was warm, but somehow he hadn’t expected it any other way because everything about the other man, Fernando, radiated warmth. Even in the cold of winter.  
  
“Hey,” he replied and gently squeezed the hand he was holding. Wondering what all this would bring.  
  
“Very nice to meet you too.”  
  


***

  
  
“But if they cancelled your flight because of the snow storm, why didn’t you just try to get one today?”  
  
“Are you kidding? After that storm, do you know how many people are trying to get home last minute?” Fernando shook his head as he fished in the pockets of his jacket for his keys, slowing his steps until he stopped before an apartment door. “I tried to of course, but they told me immediately that they were hopelessly overbooked, still had no normal flight plans and everything was a big unhappy chaos.”  
  
As the blond opened the door of his apartment Dan stared at the back of Fernando’s head and neck where his fuzzy blond hair curled slightly. “So you’re stranded in dear old Liverpool.”  
  
“I am,” Fernando sighed as he opened the door.  
  
 _Torres_ , the name plate next to it read.  
  
“Not that I don’t love Liverpool. But, well. Alright, come in.”  
  
The first thing Dan noticed as he stepped into a short hall with tall, white walls and a dark wooden floor was the smell. A clear scented, somehow sweet smell that he couldn’t quite put his fingers on. They toed off their shoes and slipped out of their jackets, walked past a coat rack, a shoe cabinet and a large mirror and through a glass door into a large living room. And as soon as Fernando switched on the lights Dan looked around, finding even more than what the hall had already hinted at.  
  
The living room with integrated kitchen was spacious, the same dark wooden floor and white walls, large windows, thin white curtains. On their left the living room area with white leather couch and armchair, a plush white rug, glass table, a small, modern, enclosed fireplace, a still bare Christmas tree in one corner. And on their right the kitchen and eating area, clean black Ceran stove, modern furnishing, sufficiently large eating table with a silver candleholder and red candle in the middle, a few tiny Christmas decorations placed around it. Everywhere were small warm islands of light, spots of colour, pictures, two larger, pointedly placed paintings, everything that made the space comfortable and lived in despite the modern, clean style.  
  
“Wow. I… wow, your apartment’s amazing,” Dan uttered as he slowly spun around his own axis, taking in the details. “I mean, I knew this was a posh part of town, but this is… really nice.”  
  
“Thank you,” Fernando answered, and from the way his face was glowing Dan thought that even though he had to hear this pretty often, it still seemed to make him happy to hear it from his guest. “Make yourself right at home. Want anything to drink?” he asked while depositing his bags onto the dining table and starting to unpack, food first.  
  
“Water, thanks,” he replied before walking towards the dining table and sitting down on one of the chairs. “Can I help you with anything?”  
  
“Oh no, just stay there, I’ll be done in two minutes.”  
  
Dan nodded and went back to sneaking glances at his surroundings. He couldn’t remember ever having been in an apartment as well put together and harmonising as this. And Fernando absolutely couldn’t be much older than himself, could he? His own apartment wasn’t bad but could never compare, being the pretty standard student’s apartment that it was, small, cramped, the most noticeable influence his passion for rock music.  
  
“So…” he started, not wanting to descend into silence, “your whole family is in Spain?”  
  
“Yep.” Between stacking his fridge Fernando sat two glasses of fresh water down on the table, then proceeded with the next plastic bag. “It was more or less coincidence that I ended up here. But you’re not from England either, are you?” he wanted to know, studying Dan with a brief smile. “You have a bit of an accent… and you’re much better to understand than the Scousers.”  
  
At that Dan caught himself rubbing his arm bashfully. “Yeah, I’m from Denmark. Here for university. What about you?”  
  
“After school I just wanted to go on an internship somewhere to improve my English. Around three corners I landed up here, and when my time was officially over and it turned out that they wanted to keep me, I didn’t think about it twice. I stayed there for three years but then decided… well… let’s just say I’m self-employed now.”  
  
Dan blinked, thinking that judging by the small grin curling around Fernando’s lips just before he turned away he probably hadn’t been fired. Self-employed. Obviously pretty successfully so. At that age.  
  
“And… what exactly is your job?” he couldn’t help asking, watching as Fernando looked back over his shoulder and directed a full grin at him.  
  
“Interior design and decoration.”  
  


***

  
  
“Here? Or further to the right?”  
  
“No, it’s pretty good right there I think.”  
  
“You know that I’ll do unspeakable things to you if I take five steps back when I’m done and discover that you were misleading me all the time.”  
  
Again there was laughter bubbling up in his chest and Dan dug his sock-clad toes into the couch cushion, one arm resting on his knees, legs drawn to him. “What happened to ‘I think I can trust you’? And I really can’t think of any reason why I should mislead you.”  
  
“Maybe because of your Christmas aversion,” Fernando answered with a wry smile and attached the red ball with the golden ornaments to the indicated twig. Low music was playing in the background now, unobtrusive blues rock, true to Fernando’s word.  
  
“No, I could never do that to you.”  
  
Before he even knew it he had reached for the small plate in the middle of the glass coffee table again for another of those Christmas cookies. God they were so good…  
  
“Very good to know. Okay, that was the last one. Should I get some tinsel? Or straw stars? Be honest.”  
  
“I thought you were the designer between the two of…”  
  
Dan trailed off at the stern look that was directed at him and actually considered the question.  
  
The previously bare tree was now lit softly, the lights reflecting off Fernando’s hair, red-golden balls scattered evenly on the green branches. Very basic, simple even. But.  
  
“No,” Dan heard himself say, gaze gliding slowly over the small, warm lights, the green and red and gold. Surprising even himself.  
  
“I think it’s perfect.”  
  


***

  
  
“Okay, I really can’t help you? I feel kind of useless standing around like that while watching you cook.”  
  
All the while he watched the curve of Fernando’s smile. The tips of hair falling into his forehead. The assured, precise movements of his lean fingers.  
  
“No, really. I invited you, remember?”  
  
“Yes, but…”  
  
The soft laugh filling the air between them. The way his spine arched as he reached up for some spices.  
  
“Oh, fine. If you really want to do something, you can set the table. Glass cupboard over there, can’t miss it.”  
  
“Thanks ever so much.”  
  
“Yes, yes. But you keep interrupting yourself. Why Liverpool?”  
  
The comfortable way he stirred the sizzling pan.  
  
“I just wanted to get away. To study somewhere else, see a different country, perfect my English.”  
  
“Then why not… I don’t know, London? Has the more prestigious universities, no?”  
  
“Yeah, maybe. But it’s expensive as hell and everyone goes there. Did help a lot too that I’ve always been a huge Liverpool FC fan…”  
  
The large, happy grin spreading on his face.  
  
“Oh Dan, I like you. I really do.”  
  


***

  
  
“Oh God. Oh my God.”  
  
“… Are you alright?”  
  
“Okay, it has to be said. That green pasta stuff already was phenomenal, with the chicken and mushrooms and especially the pieces of dry tomatoes, and the wine’s delicious. But this. This is the beginning and end of it all. What _is_ this?”  
  
He sunk his spoon into the dark brown of what looked like a flat muffin one more time. Careful. Watching how it gave way. Molten chocolate pouring out. Alternating his gaze between dessert and Fernando’s flushed face.  
  
“So you like it?”  
  
“ _Like_ it? Dear God…”  
  
“I know it from home. And to be honest, I don’t even know the original name. Chocolate coulant, Chocolatissimo…”  
  
“How did you get the molten chocolate in there? Did you use a syringe and injected it? Don’t laugh! How?”  
  
“Cook’s secret…”  
  
“Honestly. Does everything you do have this much style?”  
  
“I…”  
  
Gazes meeting, for a moment both embarrassed. Neither having really been prepared for this.  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
Soft clattering of cutlery. Another moment of silence.  
  
“But I’m allowed to hope.”  
  


***

  
  
“Death is certain, the hour is uncertain.”  
  
“Another one about death? You weren’t some kind of emo kid, were you?”  
  
“No. No, it wasn’t like that.”  
  
“Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re absolutely fascinating. I… I love what they stand for.”  
  
“You do?”  
  
“Yes. Live life to the fullest. Every day as if it’s your last.”  
  
He nodded. They were quiet for a moment. Still drinking their wine they had brought over to the couch. Savouring the taste, the evening.  
  
“Fuck me… is that… you and…?”  
  
“Oh… yes.”  
  
“You have a picture of yourself and Pepe Reina in your living room? Why didn’t I see that before?!”  
  
“Maybe I kept you too busy with commenting the process of decorating the tree?”  
  
“Fernando! Story to tell! Stop laughing, hurry!”  
  
“I kind of did the interior of his villa for him…”  
  
“Oh my God.”  
  
“It was a coincidence!”  
  
“You furnished his villa coincidentally?”  
  
“No, I… long story. It’s just all about being in the right place at the right time. It was my… spring board into self-employment. With a lot of luck.”  
  
“Or talent.”  
  
A blush that tinted ears beneath tips of blond hair and cheeks over caramel freckles. Another sip of wine.  
  
“… I guess?”  
  
“Oh, someone’s humble. Was Reina the only LFC player you worked for?”  
  
“Well…”  
  
“Holy shit.”  
  
“I could… take you to a game some time…?”  
  
“… I think I need to get drunk.”  
  


***

  
  
“What happened?”  
  
“I liked it enough as a kid. The presents, the excitement, the thousands and millions of lights. I know in England the main day of celebration is the 25th, and in Spain it’s different as well I think? But in Denmark _Juleaften_ , Christmas Eve, is most important. There’s dinner and singing and… opening presents… Yeah, anyway. To make a long story short: four years ago things kind of escalated on _Juleaften_ and there was a big, really big fight in my family. I kind of… it was the reason I wanted to get away from Denmark to be honest.”  
  
“I’m sorry…”  
  
“It’s okay most of the year, I’m over it. I just hate to be reminded…”  
  
“… and that’s what Christmas does.”  
  
“Exactly. But, you know… I’m glad you convinced me to come here with you.”  
  
“That’s good to hear.”  
  
“So, what’s Christmas for you?”  
  
“I…”  
  
“Come on, just tell me.”  
  
“It’s… childhood memories. Being with my parents, my brother and sister, eating Christmas dinner, going to Midnight Mass, watching the dancers on the streets, talking for hours. See the extended family, have children running around. It’s not about… getting presents, but making other people smile. Showing them how important they are. Even if it might be just a legend, it’s a symbol for everything that could be if we just remembered to always be open-hearted and caring towards each other. It’s hope for so many people that desperately need it. It’s like a light that’s been given to us, something that will start to shine when it’s darkest around us.”  
  
“A light?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“I… I think I like that.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  


***

  
  
The music had long since died down, the bottle of red wine was empty. Dan blinked, the lights of the Christmas tree and the fire behind the glass of the fireplace blurring a little in front of his eyes. He felt warm, sleepy, mellow, so comfortable. Thoughts slow and sluggish as sweet syrup.  
  
Finally he turned his head, resting on the back of the couch, to his left, gaze falling onto blond hair that caught the golden light, then locking with dark eyes watching him, soft around the edges.  
  
It was snowing again outside.  
  
Fernando slid a little closer, bedding his head right next to Dan’s on the white cushion. Barely another tilt of it needed to bring their lips together, soft and slow and beautiful.  
  
Dan really didn’t want to think of it as some kind of Christmas miracle. He didn’t.  
  
But maybe… maybe it was.


End file.
